What is Sega thinking? Even though evidence exists of fan favorite Ryo Hazuki speeding through the courses of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on the PC version, a report from Destructoid published yesterday claims Ryo will stay exclusive to the mobile edition, at least for a time.

According to writer Chris Carter, even with the privilege of Ryo on mobile, Sega and Sumo have made unlocking him particularly difficult:

At this time I can confirm that he will indeed be returning to the franchise, but for right now, only in the iOS and Android versions of the game…

[….]

In order to unlock him, you have to complete a full streak of weekly challenges — a mobile-centric feature that allows you to enter certain race types on a time limit.

No timetable has been given as to when Ryo could show up via Steam, if he does at all.

27 Comments

Guess it’s up to the Sonic Modding Community to save the day once again!
If they can get every single asset from Sonic Unleashed and put it into Sonic Generations, make Professor Pickle a fully playable character and even let you play as that dog from Sonic 06, they can do anything!

Didn’t they manage to unlock Banjo Kazooie in the PC version of the original game?

MM2

Posted January 2, 2014 at 5:52 PM

And we ask only the PC players if this is fair? Really? Why not the console users? It’s like SEGA only chooses to “understand” a few platforms of online video gaming at a time, and completely ignore everything else with not a single fuck given…or too much fucks to give (as evident by the ad shilling this game has.)

I’ve been thinking there’s no way SEGA is going to push me to once again boycott one of their products, the last time being Sonic Lost World and then before it, Sonic 4 Episode II, but now I guess I truly don’t have any reason to go back to this game on my console.

I wanted a reason to go back maybe later to ASRT on my 360 and go “yeah this was a fun game yknow” but now all it will do is remind me of how ignored I, as a previously big SEGA fan, am ignored.

Skai Cyan

Posted January 3, 2014 at 4:18 AM

Simply out of curiosity, what did you mean when you said: “I’ve been thinking there’s no way SEGA is going to push me to once again boycott one of their products, the last time being Sonic Lost World and then before it, Sonic 4 Episode II,…”

You’re saying you didn’t like SLoW and 4.2 right? It just reads funny to me and wanted some clarity is all.

MM2

Posted January 3, 2014 at 5:11 PM

Ok I have no problem clarifying that.

I wanted to give both a chance. I wanted to think that maybe there’s something going on with both games that I “don’t see yet” and that the hype train Webber rode on for both games would prove me wrong. THIS of course being during the period before the games release and then up to their releases.

I was right to be wary of Episode II for Sonic 4, and even moreso to be wary of Sonic Lost World.

By saying “I’ve been thinking there’s no way SEGA is going to push me to boycott one of their products” I am saying that I wish they wouldn’t be such a stupid company that makes ridiculous decisions on minor things (be it a game, or multiple games) that have consequences (that being my own negative reactions towards them and thus, the company itself).

I mean, no offense– I totally get where the question is coming from, but don’t forget: Steam has been getting one new downloadable character after another while the console versions got squat. Mobile is just the second verse, same as the first (albeit with a slight shift).

Now we just need them to cycle back around and give the console users DLC that neither PC or mobile get, and this whole DVD special edition-esque cycle will be complete.

I… think you may have inadvertently replied to the wrong person, going by the quote.

Setnaro X

Posted January 2, 2014 at 9:12 PM

Yeah, I caught it. My mistake.

MM2

Posted January 2, 2014 at 10:39 PM

No. YOU don’t tell me what I look for in games when I expect post-release support. YOU don’t tell me what I expect out of a company.

Setnaro X

Posted January 2, 2014 at 11:15 PM

Getting really defensive now, are we? Another brick in the wall.

Josh

Posted January 2, 2014 at 6:04 PM

Obviously Ryo is coming to the major platforms since he was clearly seen as an opponent in that Yogscast stream. The screenshots they posted are also from the PC version since the iOS/Android version doesn’t reach anywhere near that sort of graphical quality.

MM2

Posted January 2, 2014 at 10:40 PM

Right, because those other characters on the PC version are clearly coming to the consol-

oh wait.

Setnaro X

Posted January 2, 2014 at 7:03 PM

Dang, replied to the wrong person

In any case, all SEGA’s doing is promoting the mobile version, since that’s technically something new for them to focus on, and they’re using Ryo because they know how popular he is.

We’ve already seen PC footage for Ryo, so eventually we’ll see him on that version. And hopefully a console release as well, but that’s a bit farfetched considering this game’s history so far.

MM2

Posted January 3, 2014 at 5:13 PM

When people tell me to not react a certain way on a game I purchased in the same manner you do, yes I do get defensive. I feel I am within my own right to complain and criticize if I feel I’m being treated wrongly as a customer, and this doesn’t exempt that. Two wrongs do not make a right, and just because some people are perfectly okay and accepting to the confusing decisions SEGA continues to do doesn’t mean I have to be.

Ninetails2000

Posted January 2, 2014 at 11:31 PM

I really hate how PC is the only one getting attention. It’s like every single console release was just a cheap cash-in version of the PC version, and that’s S-Class bullshit.

Especially considering that most of the data for a lot of the “PC Exclusive” characters are IN THE CONSOLE GAMES! It’s just slapdashedly dummied out.

Sigma

Posted January 3, 2014 at 12:14 AM

He’ll be available on PC soon enough. No question about it. SEGA just want the mobile version to sell a bit before they release Ryo on PC.

rogermayers

Posted January 3, 2014 at 8:19 AM

I have a console, and i have money for a DLC. dont be fool SEGA.

A l

Posted January 3, 2014 at 9:40 AM

Hah that’s what you get for trying to hoard all the dlc to yourself pc people

It’s none of my business but… how the heck did you go about losing a Wii-U game!?

ecchi

Posted January 3, 2014 at 2:58 PM

Eh, I’m so over this game.
What grinds my gears a little is that we had to wait approximately 2 years for an ACTUAL SEGA character (yeah, Roman guy, Football Manager, and Shogun aren’t SEGA characters to me, bite me. :p) which is Ryo. And how do they handle it? They make it exclusive to mobile devices temporarily (who knows for how long) so that rabid Ryo/Shenmue fans will snatch an extra copy to play as their favorite character ASAP.

Nothing wrong with a little marketing strategy, but this just feels dirty… But eh, whatever, water under the bridge. I got this game at $5 I can at least say I got that ammount’s worth of fun.
Not interested in Ryo in the slightest, but it’s cool to see another veteran return. Eventually.
I SO thought he was going to be the Xmas present of 2013, like Alex Kidd was last year.